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WILKES-BARRE - News of two more teenage suicides rocked Luzerne County on Tuesday, prompting promises by school and police officials to develop solutions to prevent young people from taking their lives.

As students shuffled into class Tuesday, the Pittston Area school community grieved the loss of a 15-year-old sophomore from Avoca who killed herself in Duryea on Monday night. Hours later, authorities learned a 13-year-old boy from Hazleton had killed himself inside a Church Street home.

In one week, the lives of four Luzerne County schoolchildren had ended in suicide, a bleak time many veteran educators say they have never experienced in their careers.

A Greater Nanticoke Area eighth-grader, 13, fatally shot himself Sept. 18 inside his Nanticoke home. A Pittston Area junior, 16, killed himself with a hunting rifle Sept. 21 at his Jenkins Twp. home. Authorities did not name the most recent victims or disclose how they died.

Prior to the Hazleton teenager's death, Pittston Area officials organized a public forum set for 7 tonight at the high school to address teenage suicide, inviting parents and students to talk about solutions with experts. The district, which had grief counselors comforting students the past two days, had become ground zero for the topic with two students dead from suicide.

The suicide in Hazleton reinforced the need for a call to action by everyone in the region, officials said.

"We need to respond. We just want to try to reach out to the parents in the community and make them understand we all need to work together. This is not a Pittston Area School District issue only. This is an issue that is bigger than the school district," Pittston Area Superintendant Michael Garzella said early Tuesday afternoon. "This is a community issue. This is a national issue. This is a problem that has to be dealt with. The only way we're going to be able to prevent these things from happening is if we all work together."

A few hours later, the problem would criss-cross the county, with authorities being called to the Hazleton home where a 13-year-old boy was found dead from suicide.

"It's devastating when you hear another young person took their life," said Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, who confirmed the death in a 5:40 p.m. phone call. "My heart is with these families."

Later, Hazleton Police Chief Frank DeAndrea addressed the boy's death at an 8:30 p.m. press conference at City Hall with Hazleton Mayor Joseph Yannuzzi, Hazleton Area Superintendent Francis X. Antonelli and high school Principal Rocco Petrone.

"I always say that fighting crime is a team effort, and grieving is also a team effort," Chief DeAndrea said, explaining the reason for the news briefing.

Officials made a plea to young people to seek help if they are experiencing emotional problems and said grief counselors will be at Hazleton Area today. Chief DeAndrea also noted the suicide was not "bullying-related."

Many students in Nanticoke and Pittston had claimed bullying and harassment led to the first two suicides.

After learning about Monday's suicide of the Pittston Area girl, Ms. Salavantis called an emergency meeting Tuesday morning with the county coroner and area law enforcement who investigated the suicides.

Authorities said despite some hearsay claims from classmates, there was no evidence that bullying or harassment led the children to suicides. The district attorney urged students and parents to be cautious in forwarding such rumors as the investigations continue. Ms. Salavantis, who will be on the panel tonight at the Pittston forum, also advised anyone with suicidal or mental health issues, or their loved ones, to call one of the area's 24/7 hotlines for help, such as Luzerne County Help Line.

The girl who killed herself Monday was a cheerleader with a 3.5 grade-point average who had a very involved family, Mr. Garzella said.

With two more teenage deaths Monday and Tuesday, officials said it became clear there could be a host of factors contributing to the rash of suicides and shifted their focus to awareness and prevention.

"It has been really tragic," Mr. Garzella said. "I think the staff here is taking it as hard as the students. Teachers who have worked with these children are really taking it hard. It really has been very difficult, but I think we're doing everything possible to provide support and counseling for everybody involved."

After word spread of the second suicide of a Pittston Area student, some parents picked up their children early from school Tuesday. Those parents included Duryea resident Lisa Cummings, who picked up her son, Ryan, a junior at the school.

"He's just quiet about it. Everybody has a different way of dealing with grief," Ms. Cummings said. "It's terrible."

Ms. Cummings said she would like to see an anonymous hotline set up where students can call to report bullying or other problems.

"It's going too far now," Ms. Cummings said. "Kids are down and have nowhere to turn. You don't know what is going on behind closed doors. You don't know what they're going through here and who they have to turn to. I think this is setting off a chain reaction now."

In her statement, Salavantis reminded the public that those with concerns on issues such as suicide or mental health may call any of the following agencies, where help is available 24 hours a day/7days per week: